ABUJA (Sundiata Post) – The Federal Government has said that in spite of the economic crunch in the country, Nigeria would meet its global responsibilities.
Speaking to State House correspondents after the Federal Executive Council ( FEC) meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Villa on Wednesday, Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed said Nigeria would leave no stone unturned to beat the June 2017 deadline for migration from analogue to digital broadcast mode.
He cautioned that Nigeria might be cut off from the world if it failed to meet the deadline by next year,adding that the project held the prospect of totally eliminating piracy from the system.
Mohammed reaffirmed the commitment of the Federal Government to meet the deadline of June 2017 and directed that the relevant ministries work together to achieve the deadline.
He pointed out that already the pilot scheme in Jos which was successfully deployed at the end of April is working very well and today those who are in possession of the setup boxes can view 15 channels with clarity in Jos .
Commenting on the feasibility of meeting the deadline in the face of hunger in the country, he said, “Yes Nigeria might be going through a very difficult time it doesn’t mean that we are going to be cut off from the rest of the world.
“Twenty years ago Ethiopia had a famine that ravaged the whole country; they have ricountry; they have risen from the ashes of that famine to become one of the strongest economies of the world.
“The fact that we are facing temporary problems does not mean that we are not going to be at pace with technology development all over the world. This is a global issue,it simply means that if we do not move from analogue to digital broadcasting we may not be able to even receive signals on your television.”
The minister assured that the government would assist to subsidise in getting the boxes, saying the digital migration would create a lot of job opportunities for Nigerians.
“Look at the opportunities it offers our young men who are very talented to provide content to television stations, so its going to impact very largely on the broadcast industry, even piracy which has been a menace to us today.”
Mohammed contended that with digitalisation it means that musicians and film makers could release their films or records direct on digital broadcast such as video on demand and are now going to cut off the entire pirate network which has been a bane to the Nigeria’s creative industry.
“If we look at the advantages of digitalisation in terms of changing the entire economy of providing more jobs for the people,even the 13 manufacturers of setup boxes who have been licensed, two of them already are producing and are also going to employ but I think that the fact that we have a temporary setback does not mean we are going to be cut off from the entire world.”
Speaking to State House correspondents after the Federal Executive Council ( FEC) meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Villa on Wednesday, Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed said Nigeria would leave no stone unturned to beat the June 2017 deadline for migration from analogue to digital broadcast mode.
He cautioned that Nigeria might be cut off from the world if it failed to meet the deadline by next year,adding that the project held the prospect of totally eliminating piracy from the system.
Mohammed reaffirmed the commitment of the Federal Government to meet the deadline of June 2017 and directed that the relevant ministries work together to achieve the deadline.
He pointed out that already the pilot scheme in Jos which was successfully deployed at the end of April is working very well and today those who are in possession of the setup boxes can view 15 channels with clarity in Jos .
Commenting on the feasibility of meeting the deadline in the face of hunger in the country, he said, “Yes Nigeria might be going through a very difficult time it doesn’t mean that we are going to be cut off from the rest of the world.
“Twenty years ago Ethiopia had a famine that ravaged the whole country; they have ricountry; they have risen from the ashes of that famine to become one of the strongest economies of the world.
“The fact that we are facing temporary problems does not mean that we are not going to be at pace with technology development all over the world. This is a global issue,it simply means that if we do not move from analogue to digital broadcasting we may not be able to even receive signals on your television.”
The minister assured that the government would assist to subsidise in getting the boxes, saying the digital migration would create a lot of job opportunities for Nigerians.
“Look at the opportunities it offers our young men who are very talented to provide content to television stations, so its going to impact very largely on the broadcast industry, even piracy which has been a menace to us today.”
Mohammed contended that with digitalisation it means that musicians and film makers could release their films or records direct on digital broadcast such as video on demand and are now going to cut off the entire pirate network which has been a bane to the Nigeria’s creative industry.
“If we look at the advantages of digitalisation in terms of changing the entire economy of providing more jobs for the people,even the 13 manufacturers of setup boxes who have been licensed, two of them already are producing and are also going to employ but I think that the fact that we have a temporary setback does not mean we are going to be cut off from the entire world.”
